402 READING Skit 7; ANSWER TRANSITION QUESTIONS CORRECTLY You will sometimes be asked on both the paper TOEFL test and the computer TOEFL test to answer a multiple-choice question about what probably came before the reading passage (in the preceding paragraph) or what probably comes after the reading passage (in the fol lowing paragraph). Of course, the topic of the preceding or following paragraph is not directly stated, and you must draw a conclusion to determine what is probably in these paragraphs. This type of question is a transition question. It asks you to demonstrate that you under- stand that good writing contains transitions from one paragraph to the next. A paragraph may start out with the idea of the previous paragraph as a way of linking the ideas in the two paragraphs. A paragraph may also end with an idea that will be further developed in the following paragraph. Look at a multiple-choice example of a transition question from the paper TOEFL test that asks you to identify what was probably in the preceding para- graph. Example from the Paper TOEFL Test The passage: Another myth of the oceans concerns Davy Jones, who in folklore is a mean-spirited sovereign of the ocean’s depths. The name “Jones” is thought by some etymologists to have Line been derived from the name “Jonah,” the Hebrew prophet (3) who spent three days in a whale’s belly. According to tradition, any object that goes overboard and sinks to the bottom of the ocean is said to have gone to Davy Jones's locker, the ocean-sized, mythical receptacle for anything that falls into the water. Needless to say, any sailor on (10) the seas is not so eager to take a tour of Davy Jones’s locker, although it might be a rather interesting trip considering all the treasures located there. ‘The question: The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses (A) the youth of Davy Jones (B)_ Davy Jones’s career as a sailor (C) a different traditional story from the sea (D) preparing to travel on the ocean. This question asks about the topic of the preceding paragraph, so you must look at the begin- ning of the passage and draw a conclusion about what probably came before. Since the pas- sage begins with the expression another myth of the oceans, you should understand that the new passage is going to present a second myth of the oceans and the previous passage proba- bly presented the first myth of the oceans. A myth is a traditional story, so the best answer to this question is answer (C), which discusses a different traditional story from the sea.READING QUESTIONS (Paper and Computer) Now look at a multiple-choice example from the computer TOEFL test that asks you to identify what is probably in the following paragraph. Example from the Computer TOEFL Test E15) ‘Another myth of the oceans concerns Davy Jones, who in folklore is a mean-spirited sovereign of the ‘ocean’ depths. The name “Jones” is thought by some exymologists to have been derived from the name “Jonah,” the Hebrew prophet who spent three days in a whale’ belly. ‘According to tradition, any object that goes overboard and sinks to the bottom of the ocean is said to have gone to Davy Jones's locker, the ocean-sized, mythical receptacle for anything that falls into the water. Needless to say, any sailor on the seas is not so eager to take a tour of Davy Jones's locker although it might be a rather interesting trip considering all the treasures located there, ‘The topic of the paragraph following the passage most likely is © yaluable items located at the bottom of the ocean © were Davy Jones is found today © Jonah and the whale preventing objects from fling overboard This question asks about the topic of the following paragraph, so you must look at the end of the passage and draw a conclusion about what probably comes after. The passage ends with the mention of all the treasures located there, and there is in Davy Jones's locker, or at the bottom of the ocean; this is probably going to be the topic of the next paragraph. The first answer, which discusses valuable items located at the bottom of the ocean is therefore the best answer, so you should click on the first answer to this question. The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about transition question: TRANSITION QUESTIONS (a) 18 HOWTO IDENTIFY | on both paper The paragraph preceding the passage probably... THE QUESTION and computer | What is mast likely in the paragraph following the tests i) OB passage? WHERETO FIND The answer can generally be found in the fist line of the passage for a THE ANSWER preceding question. The answer can generally be found in the last line for a following question. HOWTO ANSWER I. Read the first line for a preceding question. THE QUESTION 2. Read the Jast line for a following question. 3. Draw a conclusion about what comes before or after. 4. Choose the answer that is reflected in the fist or last line of the passage. 403404 READING TOEFL EXERCISE 7: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the ques- tions that follow. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2) Another program instrumental in the popularization of science was Cosmas. This series, broadcast on public television, dealt with topics and issues from varied fields of science. The principal writer and narrator of the program was Carl Sagan, a noted astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. 1. The paragraph preceding this passage 2. The paragraph following this passage most probably discusses most likely contains information on (A) a different scientific television bea series (A) The popularity of science (B) Carl Sagan's scientific (B)_ The program Cosmos achievements (C)_ The astronomer Carl Sagan ()_ the Pulitzer Prize won by Carl (D) Topics and issues from various Sagan fields of science (D) public television PASSAGE TWO (Questions 3-4) When a strong earthquake occurs on the ocean floor rather than on land, a tremendous force is exerted on the seawater and one or more large, destructive waves called tsunamis can be formed. Tsunamis are commonly called tidal waves in the United States, but this is really an Line inappropriate name in that the cause of the tsunami is an underground earthquake rather than (3) the ocean's tides. Far from land, a tsunami can move through the wide open vastness of the ocean at a speed of 600 miles (900 kilometers) per hour and often can travel tremendous distances without losing height and strength. When a tsunami reaches shallow coastal water, it can reach a height of 100 feet (30 meters) or more and can cause tremendous flooding and damage to coastal areas. 3. The paragraph preceding the passage 4, Which of the following is most likely the most probably discusses topic of the paragraph following the gee passage? (A) tsunanisin various parts of the world (A) The causes of tsunamis (B) the negative effects of tsunamis (B) The destructive effects of tsunamis (C) land-based earthquakes on the coast (D) the effect of tides on tsunamis (C) The differences between tsunamis and tidal waves (D) The distances covered by tsunamisLine 2] (10) Line 0) READING QUESTIONS (Paper and Computer) 405 PASSAGE THREE (Questions 5-6) While draft laws are federal laws, marriage laws are state laws rather than federal; marriage regulations are therefore not uniform throughout the country. The legal marriage age serves as an example of this lack of conformity. In most states, both the man and the woman must be at least eighteen years old to marry without parental consent; however, the states of Nebraska and ‘Wyoming require the couple to be at least nineteen, while the minimum age in Mississippi is. twenty-one. If parental permission is given, then a couple can marry at sixteen in some states, and a few states even allow marriage before the age of sixteen, though a judge’s permission, in addition to the permission of the parents, is sometimes required in this situation. Some states which allow couples to marry at such a young age are now considering doing away with such early marriages because of the numerous negative effects of these young marriages. 5. The paragraph preceding the passage 6. The topic of the paragraph following the most probably discusses passage is most likely to be (A) state marriage laws (A) disadvantages of youthful (B)_ the lack of uniformity in marriage marriages laws (B)_ reasons why young people decide (C) federal draft laws to marry (D) the minimum legal marriage age (©) the age when parental consent for marriage is required (D) a discussion of why some states allow marriages before the age of sixteen TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 6-7): Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-4) The most conservative sect of the Mennonite Church is the Old Order Amish, with 33,000 members living mainly today in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Their lifestyle reflects their belief in the doctrines of separation from the world and simplicity of life. The Amish have steadfastly rejected the societal changes that have occurred in the previous three hundred years, preferring instead to remain securely rooted in a seventeenth-century lifestyle. They live on farms without radios, televisions, telephones, electric lights, and cars; they dress in plainly styled and colored old-fashioned clothes; and they farm their lands with horses and tools rather than modern farm equipment. They have a highly communal form of living, with barn raisings and quilting bees as commonplace activities. 1. The paragraph preceding this passage 2. Which of the following would probably most probably discusses NOT be found on an Amish farm? (A). other, more liberal sects of (A) Ahammer Mennonites (B) Acart (B)_ where Mennonites live (©) Along dress (©) the communal Amish lifestyle (D) Arefrigerator (D) the most conservative Mennonites406 Line 0) READING 3. It can be inferred from the passage that a quilting bee (A)_ involves a group of people (B) is necessary when raising bees (C)_ always follows a barn raising (D) provides needed solitude PASSAGE TWO (Questions 5-8) 4, Which of the following is most likely the topic of the paragraph following the passage? (A). The effects of the communal lifestyle on the Old Order Amish (B) How the Old Order Amish differ from the Mennonites (©). The effect of modern technology _ onthe Old Order Amish (D) The doctrines of the Old Order Amish Various other Native American tribes also lived on the Great Plains. The Sioux, a group of seven Native American tribes, are best known for the fiercely combative posture against encroaching White civilization in the 1800s. Although they are popularly referred to as Sioux, these Native American tribes did not call themselves Sioux; the name was given to them by an enemy tribe. The seven Sioux es called themselves by some variation of the word Dakota, which means “allies” in their language. Four tribes of the eastern Sioux community living in Minnesota were known by the name Dakota. The Nakota included two tribes that left the eastern woodlands and moved out onto the plains. The Teton Sioux, or Lakota, moved even farther west to the plains of the present-day states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. 5. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses (A) how the Sioux battled the white man (B) one of the tribes of the plains (C)_ where the Sioux lived (D) Native American tribes on the East Coast 6. Which of the following represents a likely reaction of the Sioux in the 1800s to the encroaching white civilization? (A) The Sioux would probably help the whites to settle in the West. (B) The Sioux would probably attack the white settlers. (C) The Sioux would probably invite the whites to smoke a peace pipe. (D) The Sioux would probably join together in hunting parties with the white settlers. 7. Itis implied in the passage that the seven Sioux tribes called each other by some form of the word Dakota because they were (A) united in a cause (B) all living in North Dakota (C) fiercely combative (D) enemies It can be inferred from the passage that the present-day states of North and South Dakota (A) are east of Minnesota (B) are home to the four tribes known by the name Dakota (C) received their names from the tribes living there (D) are part of the eastern woodlandsLine 6) (10) (5) READING QUESTIONS (Paper and Computer) 407 PASSAGE THREE (Questions 9-12) The extinction of many species of birds has undoubtedly been hastened by modern man; since 1600 it has been estimated that approximately 100 bird species have become extinct over the world. In North America, the first species known to be annihilated was the great auk, a flightless bird that served as an easy source of food and bait for Atlantic fishermen through the beginning of the nineteenth century. Shortly after the great auk’s extinction, two other North American species, the Carolina parakeetand the passenger pigeon, began dwindling noticeably in numbers. The last Carolina parakeet and the last passenger pigeon in captivity both died in September 1914. In addition to these extinct species, several others such as the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, and the California condor are today recognized as endangered; steps are being taken to prevent their extinction. 9. The number of bird species that have 11. It can be inferred from the passage that become extinct in the United States the great auk was killed because since 1600 most probably is (A) itwas eating the fishermen’s catch (A) more than 100 (B) fishermen wanted to eat it (B) exactly 100 (C) it flew over fishing areas (© less than 100 (D) it baited fishermen (D) exactly three 12. The paragraph following this passage 10. ‘The passage implies that the great auk disappeared (A) before 1600 most probably discusses (A)_ what is being done to save endangered birds (B) in the 1600s (B)_ what the bald eagle symbolizes to (C) im the 1800s Americans (D) in the last fifty years (C) how several bird species became endangered (D) other extinct species TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE (Skills 1-7): Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-8) ‘The Mason-Dixon Line is often considered by Americans to be the demarcation between the North and the South. It is in reality the boundary that separates the state of Pennsylvania from Maryland and parts of West Virginia. Prior to the Civil War, this southern boundary of Pennsylvania separated the nonslave states to the north from the slave states to the south The Mason-Dixon Line was established well before the Civil War, as a result of a boundary dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Two English astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, were called in to survey the area and officially mark the boundary between the two states. The survey was completed in 1767, and the boundary was marked with stones, many of which remain to this day.408 Line 0) READING 1. The best title for this passage would be 5. The passage states all of the following (A) _ Dividing the North and the South Se eet een ana Dien encee alae (B) The Meaning of the Mason-Dixon (A) they came from England Line (B)_ they worked as astronomers (©) Two English Astronomers (©) they caused the boundary dispute (D) The History of the Mason-Dixon between Pennsylvania and Line Maryland (D) they surveyed the area of the 2. Look at the word It in paragraph 1. boundary between Pennsylvania Click on the word or phrase that It and Maryland refers to. 6. The passage indicates that the Mason- 3. Click on the drawing that shows the Dixon Line was identified with location Mason-Dixon Line. location of the Mason-Dixon Line. (A) pieces of rock Age | [eo (B) fences — S (C) astone wall (D) aborder crossing 7. Click on the paragraph that explains why the Mason-Dixon Line was established. 8. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses (A) where the Mason-Dixon Line is located (B) the Mason-Dixon Line today (©) the effect of the Civil War on 4, Itcan be inferred from the passage that non slavery ae (D) what happened to Charles Mason (A) Pennsylvania was south of the and Jeremiah Dixon Mason-Dixon Line (B)_ Pennsylvania was a nonslave state (C) the states south of the Mason- Dixon Line had the same opinion about slavery as Pennsylvania (D) the slave states were not divided from the nonslave states PASSAGE TWO (Questions 9-14) Manic depression is another psychiatric illness that mainly affects the mood. A patient suffering from this disease will alternate between periods of manic excitement and extreme depression, with or without relatively normal periods in between. The changes in mood suffered by a manic-depressive patient go far beyond the day-to-day mood changes experienced by the general population. In the period of manic excitement, the mood elevation can become so intense that it can result in extended insomnia, extreme irritability, and heightened aggressiveness. In the period of depression, which may last for several weeks or months, a patient experiences feelings of general fatigue, uselessness, and hopelessness, and, in serious cases, may contemplate suicide.Line 0) (0) (DS) READING QUESTIONS (Paper and Computer) 9. The paragraph preceding this passage 12. The passage indicates that most people a (A) never undergo mood changes (A) when manic depression develops (B) experience occasional shifts in (B) a different type of mental disease mood, (C) how moods are determined (C) switch wildly from highs to lows (D) how manic depression can result in (D) become highly depressed suicide 13, Look at the word it in the passage. Click 10. The topic of this passage is on the word or phrase it refers to. (A) various psychiatric illnesses ee (B) how depression affects the mood 14. ‘The passage implies that (C)_ the intense period of manic (A) changes from excitement to excitement depression occur frequently and (D) the mood changes of manic often depression (B)_ only manic-depressive patients experience aggression 11. Glick on the drawing of the person who (©) the depressive phase of this disease is most likely a manic-depressive patient can be more harmful than the ina manic phase. manic phase (D) suicide is inevitable in cases of manic depression PASSAGE THREE (Questions 15-23) Unlike earlier campaigns, the 1960 presidential campaign featured a politically innovative and highly influential series of televised debates in the contest between the Republicans and the Democrats. Debates that could be viewed by such a wide audience had never before been part of the presidential campaigns, and through these debates, the far-reaching medium of television showed how effective it could be in influencing the outcome of an election. The two parties to face off in the election selected very different candidates. John Kennedy, young senator from Massachusetts without much experience and recognition in national politics, established an early lead among democratic hopefuls, and was nominated on the first ballot at the Los Angeles convention to be the representative of the Democratic party in the presidential elections. The older and more experienced Richard Nixon, then serving as vice president of the United States under Eisenhower, received the nomination of the Republican party. Both Nixon and Kennedy campaigned vigorously throughout the country and then took the unprecedented step of appearing in face-to-face debates on television. Experts in the politics of presidential elections contend that the debates were a pivotal force in the elections. In front of a viewership of more than 100 million citizens, Kennedy masterfully overcame Nixon’s advantage as the better-known and more experienced candidate and reversed the public perception of him as too inexperienced and immature for the presidency. In an election that was extremely close, it was perhaps these debates that brought victory to Kennedy. 409410 READING 15. The paragraph preceding the passage 16. 17. 18. most likely discussed (A) presidential elections prior to 1960 (B) planning for the 1960 election (C)_ the history of television prior to 1960 (D) the outcome of the 1960 presidential election Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage? (A) Kennedy defeated Nixon in the 1960 presidential election. (B) Television debates were instrumental in the outcome of the 1960 presidential election. (C)_ Television debates have long been a part of campaigning. (D) Kennedy was the leading Democratic candidate in the 1960 presidential election. Look at the word it in paragraph 1. Click on the word or phrase that it refers to. ‘The passage implies that Kennedy (A) was long shot to receive the Democratic presidential nomination (B)_ won the Democratic presidential nomination fairly easily (C)_ was nota front runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination (D) came from behind to win the Democratic presidential nomination 19. 21. 22, 23. The passage states that the television debates between presidential candidates in 1960 (A) did not influence the selection of the president were the final televised debates were fairly usual in the history of presidential campaigns were the first presidential campaign debates to be televised (B) (Cc) (D) Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Richard Nixon? (A) (B) He was serving as vice president. He was the Republican party's candidate for president. He campaigned strongly all over the country. He was nominated on the first ballot. (©) (D) The passage states that in the debates with Nixon, Kennedy demonstrated to the American people that he was (A) old enough to be president (B)_ more experienced than Nixon (C)_ better known than Nixon (D) too inexperienced to serve as president The pronoun ‘him in line 17 refers to (A) John Kennedy (B) Richard Nixon (C) Eisenhower (D) the better-known and more experienced candidate Click on the paragraph that describes the two candidates in the election.